1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for pyrolyzing carbon-containing materials.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, pyrolysis is a process of thermochemically decomposing carbon-containing materials at an elevated temperature and in the absence of oxygen. Pyrolysis may be used to convert carbon-containing materials including, for example, rubber-containing composites such as tires and other industrial rubber and rubber-based items, into other materials, including carbon- and hydrocarbon-containing compounds like pyrolysis oils, residue gases, and carbonaceous solids. In addition to providing a more environmentally-benign method of disposing of various carbon-containing waste materials, such as, for example, used tires, pyrolysis also provides an opportunity to create valuable end products, which may themselves be further usable, salable, and/or recyclable. To date, a commercial-scale pyrolysis facility capable of efficiently and predictably recovering valuable products from various carbon-containing feedstocks has yet to be provided.
Therefore, a need exists for systems and method of pyrolyzing carbon-containing material to create valuable end products. Ideally, such systems and methods could be employed on a commercial scale and could be configured to process a wide variety of feedstocks, while still providing products with predictable and desirable properties.